Hodor and Bran Stark won't be in 'Game of Thrones' season 5

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The character Bran Stark, portrayed by Isaac Hempstead Wright, isn't expected to appear in season five of "Game of Thrones."

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The characters Hodor and Bran Stark aren't expected to appear next season

Actor Kristian Nairn says they have a season off

"Game of Thrones" just began filming its fifth season in Europe

A sad "Game of Thrones" spoiler alert ahead: Everyone's favorite friendly giant, Hodor, and his best buddy, Bran Stark, will not appear in the show's upcoming fifth season, according to actor Kristian Nairn.

"We're not actually in season five, by the way," Nairn told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "We have a season off. We have a year's hiatus ... Solely because, I imagine, our storyline is up to the end of the books."

"Game of Thrones" just began filming its fifth season in Europe, though Nairn — who is also a DJ — remains in Australia. He's been traveling around the country presenting his Westeros-inspired DJ tour, the aptly titled, "Rave of Thrones."

While his trek down under runs through September 7, Nairn hinted that he might be taking the tour elsewhere now that he's on a break from "GoT": "I get a year off now to do 'Rave of Thrones' and gallivant all over the world." So even if there's no Hodor holding up Bran on screen, there just might be a Hodor holding down the ones and twos in nightclubs across the globe.

Despite the absence of Hodor and Bran in season five, "Game of Thrones" did add a number of new characters over the summer, including British screen vet Jonathan Pryce ("Brazil," "Pirates of the Caribbean"), who will play the High Sparrow, a religious leader who comes to Kings Landing to serve the city's poor.

Other additions include Alexander Siddig ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") as Doran Martell, the ruler of Dorne and the older brother of the Red Viper, Oberyn Martell, who met a gruesome demise in season four. Toby Sebastian will play Doran's son and heir to Dorne, Trystane, while Nell Tiger Free plays his wife-to-be, Myrcella Baratheon, officially the daughter of Cersei Lannister and King Robert Baratheon (though her father is really Jaime Lannister).

The Oberyn extended family will also include a few bastard daughters played by Keisha Castle-Hughes, Jessica Henwick and Rosabell Laurenti Sellers.